PANCHAYAT ELECTIONS: Teachers on poll duty, studies take a hit

On Thursday, it was an unofficial ‘non-teaching day’ at Government Primary School, Kulara, Samana, as all teachers were asked to participate in a rehearsal for the panchayat poll scheduled for October 15.

It’s the same story for students at hundreds of government schools across the state as teachers have been asked to attend rehearsals from October 9 to October 11.

Education Minister Harjot Bains said the Deputy Commissioners had been repeatedly told to put non-teaching staff on election duty so that teachers could be spared for academics. “The District Education Officers have been told to provide substitute teachers accordingly,” he said.

The worst-hit are primary schools, which generally have two to three teachers.

Guwinder Saskor, general secretary, Government Teachers’ Union, said, “In Samana block, around 40 primary schools were literally closed. It will be a similar situation in Ropar district as majority of the teachers will participate in the rehearsals tomorrow.”

The entire teaching staff of Government Primary School, Chainewala, Mansa; Government Primary School, Bhadas, Kapurthala; Government Primary School Mankian Wala, Ferozepur; Government Primary School, Khosa Dal Singh Wala, Ferozepur; Government Middle School, Mundi Chohlian, Jalandhar; government primary schools at Kotla Taprian, Sanana, Paprala in Ropar; government primary schools at Jandsar Kotli, Dodhra and Talwandi Malak in Samana have been deputed on election duty.

Around 80 per cent of the teaching staff of government high and secondary schools have been asked to perform poll-related duties. “It’s a holiday on October 12 and 13. The polling is on October 15. It will be again a similar situation on October 14 and 16, as the teaching staff is on poll duty,” said one of the teachers.

Pawan Kumar, press secretary, Democratic Teachers’ Front, said, “Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had promised that the teachers would not be deputed on poll duty. Nothing has changed on the ground. There are many schools where the entire teaching faculty is on election duty.”